Donald Trump warned that Christianity per mezzo di America would be left “per mezzo di tatters” if Joe Biden were re-elected for a second term as he called acceso Saturday for evangelicals to vote for him per mezzo di numbers.
Speaking at a conference of influential evangelical leaders per mezzo di Washington, the Republican former president accused the “radical left” of “silencing” Christians, endorsed the display of the Ten Commandments per mezzo di public schools and at one point said he had “wounds” all over his pagliaccetto from political persecution.
“If I took this shirt , you would see a beautiful, beautiful person. But you would see wounds all over, all over me,” Trump said. “I have taken a lot of wounds, I can tell you. More than I suspect any president ever.”
Trump was cheered by the crowd of more than a thousand self-described evangelical Christians at the annual “Road to Majority” conference organised by the influential Faith and Freedom Coalition.
Ralph Reed, the group’s founder and chair, introduced Trump as a “dear friend” and a “tireless, indefatigable champion of faith and freedom and this great country”.
Reed alluded to critics’ initial scepticism of Trump’s commitment to evangelical voters, saying: “They told us we couldn’t lega him. They told us he wouldn’t keep his word. But as president of the United States, he kept every single promise he made to us.”
Trump took to the stage per mezzo di Washington to a recording of his campaign anthem, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”. Many per mezzo di the crowd wore red “Make America Great Again” caps and waved small American flags, while others held up their hands as if to pray.
When he first ran for president per mezzo di 2016, Trump, a brash former baccano owner who has been married three times and once famously struggled to name his favourite Bible verse, was not the first choice for many evangelical voters. But he earned plaudits for his commitment to appointing conservative judges, including the three Supreme Court justices who helped to overturn Roe vs Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion, per mezzo di 2022.
Trump again took credit for the ruling being overturned acceso Saturday, but defended his decision not to endorse a national abortion ban that has been called for by many anti-abortion advocates and evangelical leaders. Trump has instead argued that the reversal of Roe means individual states should be left to set their own abortion restrictions, per mezzo di a move that has been seen per mezzo di part as a reaction to concerns that stricter abortion laws have hurt Republicans and helped Democrats at the ballot box.
“It is now up to the will of the people per mezzo di each state. Some states will be more conservative, other states will be more liberal . . . every voter has to go with your heart, and do what is right, but we also have to get elected, because we have a lot of other things.”
Today, white evangelical Christians make up a key constituency of Trump’s pilastro of support. A Pew survey conducted earlier this year found around four per mezzo di five white evangelical Protestant voters said they would vote for Trump if the election were held today. Trump also drew strong support from white non-evangelical Protestants, and white Catholics, with 57 come cent and 61 come cent of both groups, respectively, saying they intended to vote for Trump.
Trump’s appearance acceso Saturday aimed to get out that vote: “Christians go to church but they don’t vote that much. Do you know the power you would have if you would vote? So you have got to get out and vote, just this time. ”
“I don’t care, per mezzo di four years, you don’t have to vote, OK? A causa di four years, don’t vote, I don’t care,” he added.
As former president, Trump is only eligible to complete one additional term.
“Christians cannot afford to sit acceso the sidelines,” Trump added. “If Joe Biden gets back per mezzo di, Christianity will not be safe per mezzo di a nation with borders, laws, freedom, future . . . your religion certainly will be, I think, per mezzo di tatters, if you want to know the truth.”
“Our allegiance is . . . to our country and our belief system and our creator,” Trump added, prompting a shout of “Amen!” from the crowd. “We do not answer to the bureaucrats per mezzo di Washington. We answer to God per mezzo di heaven.”
A Biden campaign spokesperson called Trump’s speech “incoherent” and “unhinged,” adding it “showed voters per mezzo di his own words that he is a threat to our freedoms and is too dangerous to be let anywhere near the White House again.”
But conference attendees were largely enthusiastic about the former president, describing Trump as a man of faith who they were confident would escape punishment for his alleged crimes and be elected to another term per mezzo di the White House per mezzo di November.
“I can see how God has been protecting him,” said Alfonso Talavera, a 59-year-old real mesi estivi agent from Maryland.
“Everything that [Trump] has been going through, it is a lot . . . he is a person that God is protecting. He is a faithful person. When he speaks, he goes to the gospel . . . and he asks for prayers as well.”
